Quick and Easy Pickled Red Onions are a simple easy refrigerator pickle project to add to your repertoire ~ they’re not only beautiful, they’re a workhorse when it comes to jazzing up lots of different kinds of foods!
You can’t make a great fish taco without pickled onions, but they are also great on sandwiches, burgers and hotdogs, salads, cheese boards…pretty much anywhere you’d use sliced onions. Pickling takes a bit of the raw bite off of onions and replaces it with a nice sweet-sour tang. And like most pickles they’re almost calorie free, so they are a great way to add interest and flavor to food if you’re watching your weight.
It’s a fun chemistry experiment to watch the purple onions turn bright pink the minute they hit the acidic vinegar. I love the vibrant color of these pickled red onions, they really brighten up food in more ways than one!
The method for these pickles is very simple and lends itself well to adaptation and experimentation. I used a few extra spices like multicolored peppercorns, yellow mustard seeds, and cumin seeds, but feel free to substitute in others. And just one sliced jalapeno pepper makes the whole jar pretty hot. But you can do this without any spices at all if you want to. The classic combination of vinegar, salt and sugar also makes a wonderful simple pickle.
I love making quick pickles–you can pickle all kinds of vegetables and it’s nice to have a little collection in the fridge so you have just the right pickle for all your recipes! Here are a few more of my favorites that are easy, fast, and sure to brighten up any dish.
- QUICK AND SPICY REFRIGERATOR PICKLES
- QUICK PICKLED JALEPENOS
- QUICK PICKLED VIDALIA ONIONS
- GIN AND TONIC REFRIGERATOR PICKLES
Ingredients
- 2 medium red onions
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbsp multicolor peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seed
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- i jalapeno or Serrano pepper, sliced, seeds and all
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice the onions. I used my mandoline slicer for this as it does a nice, even job.
- Put the vinegar, water, and all the spices in a small pan and bring up to a simmer. Take off the heat, and add the onions and hot pepper. Mix well.
- Place the onions in a mason jar and pour the liquid over them. Make sure the liquid covers the onions. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate.
- Will keep in the refrigerator for a month.
Note:
Don’t forget to pin these Pickled Red Onions!
21 Comments
louise
August 9, 2019 at 9:53 amTry them on avocado toast – yum!
Sue
August 9, 2019 at 10:05 amInteresting idea :)
Kate
March 25, 2018 at 4:16 pmI will have to say these onions got mixed reviews at my house. My partner tried a bite, made a face and said “they taste like perfume!” I however, did like them. At first they struck me as pretty acidic, but I enjoyed them on top of my hot dog instead of pickle relish. It is not something I could eat by the bowl full, but I thought they were great on the hot dog. One or two slices would be a nice little “pick me up”, so I am happy. But alas, I must try other recipes to see if I can’t please my better half too.
Billy
October 27, 2017 at 9:52 amI’m so obsessed with pickled onions. The flavor is so great! It cuts the super spicy bite out of raw onions and makes them tender and incredibly flavorful! I love that you added heat to the pickle as well with the peppers. Thanks so much for sharing! Can’t wait to try making these at home!
Sue
October 27, 2017 at 10:09 amI love to add a little bit of heat whenever I can…enjoy Billy!
Cathy
June 7, 2017 at 3:24 pmCan you use pickling spice instead of the spices listed?
Sue
June 7, 2017 at 3:43 pmYes, go for it!
steph
September 11, 2016 at 1:12 pmA quick question though… can these actually be canned? (boiled 10 minutes?!)
:)
Sue
September 11, 2016 at 1:24 pmI’m not sure but I think these can be canned, Steph. I would consult a canning site or book first, though, to be sure.
Julia
August 6, 2013 at 5:58 amMy favorite restaurant makes a killer Greek salad with pickled onions and ever since I tried it, I’ve been wanting to pickle onions. I’m SO happy I saw this post – I’m definitely following your how-to!!
Sue
August 6, 2013 at 7:37 amThey weren’t really on my radar until I had them on some great fish tacos and now I’m trying to find new ways to use them. A Greek salad sounds perfect, I bet they’d complement the feta cheese really well.
Hugo
October 11, 2013 at 3:11 pmThey should be great on corn torillas quesadillas.
Penny
August 6, 2013 at 4:31 amI’m going out to get canning jars right now . . . or at least when the store opens. Great idea.
Joanne
August 6, 2013 at 4:05 amPickled onions are the perfect condiment!! I love that you added in a jalapeno to really spice things up.
Abbe@This is How I Cook
August 5, 2013 at 8:21 pmGorgeous, Sue. I only recently discovered how easy these were to make. And that saves me a trip to the Mexican market where I used to buy them. You are right. They are fabulous in so many dishes!
Alisa Rhinehart
August 5, 2013 at 4:41 pmGreat post! I’ll be making these this weekend! :) Thanks!
Denise @ magnoliaverandah
August 5, 2013 at 4:15 pmLove pickled onions and have been on the look out for some little onions to pickle but using red onions would be a great alternative. They look so pretty in pink too.
Monique
August 5, 2013 at 2:11 pmWe enjoy pickled onions..seems that’s all I am doing these days..preserving..
But I have never added Jalapenos..Bonne idée!
Eileen
August 5, 2013 at 9:57 amOoh, these look so lovely! You have to love bright pink pickles. :)
Mary
August 5, 2013 at 9:14 amI’ve tried pickled onions twice now and been unimpressed. Yours look and sound great though and I much prefer that the onions aren’t cooked first! I’m trying these this week. Thanks, Sue.
Dom
August 5, 2013 at 9:11 amwow, beautiful.. I have all these jars now and I need to fill them… onions are so simple but they look and no doubt taste spectacular… great recipe x